Existing grenade launchers have the ability to launch a non-lethal diversionary device, such as a tear gas, smoke, concussion or flash grenade, through windows or walls and into buildings. Due to the great velocity that the grenade launchers propel the non-lethal diversionary devices into the building, the non-lethal diversionary devices are capable of causing serious injury, including death, to those people occupying the building from impact with the non-lethal diversionary device.
Because of the serious threat to human life caused by the propelling of non-lethal diversionary devices into buildings with grenade launchers, law enforcement personnel typically use 2-3 people to manually deliver non-lethal diversionary devices through windows and into buildings to distract the people occupying the building such that law enforcement personnel can safely enter the building and apprehend the people occupying the building. One or two members of the law enforcement personnel will normally use a crow bar to break the screen/window and, if necessary, pull a curtain or venetian blind aside. Another member will throw the non-lethal diversionary device into the room by hand. Because the law enforcement personnel are exposed to rifle and/or pistol fire from the building during the insertion of the non-lethal diversionary device into the building, other team members cover the operation with a variety of weapons to protect the law enforcement personnel from fire originating from the building.
Because of the inherent danger to people occupying the building from use of the grenade launcher, and the inherent danger to law enforcement personnel from manually delivering a non-lethal diversionary device into the building, a need exists for an apparatus capable of safely delivering the non-lethal diversionary device into a structure, such as a building without risk of serious injury to those people occupying the structure from impact with the non-lethal diversionary device while also permitting law enforcement personnel to remain safely out of the line of sight of at least one person occupying the structure when the non-lethal diversionary device is propelled into the structure. It is to such an improved apparatus for safely delivering non-lethal diversionary devices through barriers, such as a window, and into structures, such as a building, which the present invention is directed.